Double Duty

This week I was sidelined by the flu.  It came upon me like a train wreck right in the middle of my work day, and it was relentless in its fury.

After Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. - Mark 1:29-31

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus shows compassion when he encounters Simon Peter's mother-in-law, and he heals her.

It is not his job to do this.  He has come to spread the good news of God, but people have a hard time hearing news when they are suffering.  So he cures the sick and heals the suffering.

As important as our jobs are, we may discover that every so often something pops up that makes doing that job nearly impossible, so what do we do?

Jesus had no one to spread the news.  The disciples were new to the job and had not yet learned the ropes, so he was pressed upon to do double duty.

I am blessed with the support of directors who know all the responsibility for feeding the hungry and caring for their needs cannot fall on one set of shoulders alone, so I was able to develop a team capable of running the organization without me.

There is a difference between taking time off and being too sick to work.

When we take a vacation, we want to forget about work and relax, and so we expect our staff to take care of things in our absence.

But when we are suddenly unable to work, and the burden shifts to them without warning, there is a feeling of helplessness that sets in.

Jesus will go on to tell his disciples they must move on so he could focus on his mission, and I think there is a lesson in that.

We cannot do all things well.  We need to focus on one at a time.

What we choose to focus on is up to us, and that choice has consequences.  But it is why we have a free will.

I look forward to coming back to work this week with a renewed sense of focus.  What has worked in my absence will be supported and strengthened, so I can shift my focus to the bigger picture, to help more people.  And the team will carry on.

More to come...